Transported to a surreal landscape, a young girt kills the first woman she meets and then teams up with three complete strangers to kill again.

--TV listing for the movie The Wizard of Oz, in the Marin Paper

CALL OUTS

GenCon 1998 was my first GenCon, like...ever. I was told over and over that it was blasphemous to go this long without having attended gaming's largest fair. Then I reminded everyone that I was a total neanderthal and the fact that we were even having this conversation at all was a testament to science.

To make the trip more fantastic, four stinky men, packed up a large mini-van (?) and travelled through 700 states to reach the grand city of Milwaukee. With $6 worth of lint and matchbooks left in our pockets, Alexander, Patrick, Sean, and I clamored aboard the cargo van of doom and sputtered for over 2600 miles, screeching across dangerous wilderness to reach the mecca of gaming. Not that that has anything to do with anything. Here's a list of really cool people I just had to mention.

Greg Fountain - thanks for lunch, and good luck with your plans in 1999. Greg was incredibly nice to me and I thought you were from another planet when you held that door open for that woman... things are different on this side of the world, very different.

Greg Banage and Jeff Barber - thanks for making me buy my own soda. You spend half and hour with the crew, and what do they do to you? Gosh, I hope we don't misplace a Bio-Hazard ad - oops. Nevertheless, Blue Planet rules.

Catten Ely - you didn't show up. Are you avoiding me?

Kara Williams - she worked harder than anyone else at AEG and she doesn't even work for us. Somebody get her a t-shirt. You flat out rule!

Christian and company at Hubris - I want more Maelstrom now.

Craig Zipse - the hardest working man in the industry. Thanks for the kinds words and the great maps. Attn: Game Companies - Craig makes better maps than you!

James Lowder - the happiest, nicest man in the industry. Maybe I will print those underwater articles...

Ed Bolme - thanks for the noise level in the demo area. It realty improved communications amongst those of us conducting business.

Ross Issacs, Christian Moore, Danny Landers, Matt Coville Star Trek looks great, even if everyone in the office got a copy except me. Dave Williams owes me $ 1.

Deadlands Guys - thanks for Hell on Earth and the sacrilegious pizza. I still say my idea for Ghostrock is better.

Tim Bradstreet - thanks for signing so many copies of Issue 50 that you've devalued them. It is now more scarce to not have a signed copy. Jeesh! Kisses anyway. I didn't pay for my copy of Max Black. I still say I can kick you !#&%.

Ken Whitman - thanks for making me stand there and watch you demo Three Stooges. I already know how to play and I don't like you enough to wait, arrgh! Dark Conspiracy looks good and I love the new format though, so I guess I have to say something nice.

Event Horizon Productions - you guys didn't buy me any lunch so I've got nothing nice to say about you.

Chris and Steve at Visionary - thanks for the books. We're playing Everlasting at home right now.

Carol and Lloyd Brown - thanks for lunch and the stories. Tel Charlie I said hi, and next year he has to make the trip out. Look for something sweet in the mail.

Joe G. Kushner - thanks for missing the seminar. Whew.

Chris Hussey and friends - I'm always blown away at how quick I make friends with guys like you and how much fun you are to gain( with. Chris Hussey smells like fresh baked bread.

John Kovalic - dork!

Eden Studios - answering Machines are useless unless you respond to the incoming messages.

Kathleen and the Gamesverse Crew - sorry, but I can't make it to DragonCon. Thanks for stealing all of our antenna balls. We'll get you back somehow.

I guess I should mention my bosses now.

John Tynes and Scott Glancy - since I'm only 5'8", I'll never be able to work for Pagan Publishing. For those of you, who have never met them, these guys are tall as Clydesdales. John, since I now own everything that Pagan has ever produced except the clockwork baby story, you have to do something special for me.

All the guys at the seminar - you make being in the industry worth it. Looking forward to 1999 and SHADIS.

DOHT - thanks for showing up, but America doesn't want yot back (damn canadians). Say hi to Doug. Marcelo says, "Up yours!"

Peter Adkinson - without a doubt, Peter is the most generous humblest person in this hobby. Despite all of the negative hype and slams against WOTC, Peter is a genuinely honest person. He even go the Darkest of the Hillside Thickets to open for They Might Be Giants He didn't even have to pay me to say this. Thanks for wearing the jersey. I told myself I wouldn't cry...

Running out-of room people that kicked ass - Chris Pramas Nicole Lindroos, Neat Darcy, Jeff Tidball, Steve Long, Ken Hite Robin Laws (now that's a 7-man tag team), Paul Lidberg, Crist,. Slagel, Edward Carmien, Lisa Stevens, Hogshead Publishing crew,

Game Designers, Writers, and Freelancers: if you'd like to be praised and kissed up to on this page, send $50 to Jim Pinto care of SHADIS magazine. Your name will appear on this page with a thick layer of squid juice and a host of air born diseases. Don't be surprised if people don't care. The only thing scary about this month's Halloween issue is that people actually read this page.